Tag: teamwork
How a Little Humility Helps New Leaders Fit In
Most new hires at senior levels come in full of ideas, gumption, and, perhaps, a tacit assumption that things must not have been going perfectly before they were hired. They arrive believing they are going... Continue reading
6 More Ways to Help Your Team Learn to Problem-Solve
One of the major goals of every leader should be teaching team members to solve problems. Last week’s post, Isn't It Time to Stop Solving Your Team’s Problems for Them?, reviews the basics. Depending on... Continue reading
Do You Know How to Handle the Challenges of Urgency?
Urgency in the workplace has crucial uses -- and some destructive misuses. Yes, urgency may be exactly what’s needed to confront an actual emergency, serious risk, or persistent negative circumstance. But too many managers and... Continue reading
We Can Make Big Problems When We Don’t Talk Enough About Accountability
What do executives mean when they demand accountability? And what do employees mean when they complain that no one in the company has any? Usually, they mean that someone should have decided, acted, or otherwise... Continue reading
10 Ways to Keep Your Team Motivated
You can’t directly motivate anyone, but you can definitely create conditions in which people choose to contribute, participate, innovate, and push themselves. Demonstrating your own commitment helps set the bar for the team -- not... Continue reading
Stretch Goals May Be Popular But Can Damage Your People
It’s demoralizing when you can’t seem to hit your targets -- even if your company’s still making money. In some companies, the compulsion to commit to stretch goals, unprecedented innovation, or drastic and immediate turnaround... Continue reading
How to Use Praise to Help Strengthen Strengths
In the last session of a workshop series on teamwork with an up-and-coming group of middle managers, I led the group through an exercise around an activity that we don’t do often enough, either in... Continue reading
How to Progress While the Rules Are Changing
I was speaking with a high-potential middle manager who’s struggling with a raft of organizational changes including modifications of sales policies, comp plans, and various other crucial aspects of work life. He expressed tremendous frustration... Continue reading